Swayambhunath

Sorry for the long delay between blog posts. Between work and coaching, I can hardly find the time to do anything these days. To make things worse, the wife is still off in Africa with no internet access, so I'm on blog duty by myself. I'll try and get a few posts down and scheduled and stay ahead of the game.

Back to Nepal....lets see...oh yes, Swayambhunath.

Swayambhunath is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu valley west of Kathmandu city. It is also known as the Monkey Temple, as there are monkeys running and jumping all over the place.The Tibetan name translates to "Sublime Trees"...its a peaceful wooded place....with lots of monkeys.

To say this temple is on top of a hill is a bit of an understatement.

There are a series of long sets of steps that get steeper and steeper....we were drenched in sweat, but the scenery was so amazing we didn't care.

You start off at the bottom of the hill and go through a bunch of gates.

Large statues are always fun, especially when your traveling companion agrees to sit for dorky photos.

The color enhancing setting on my camera got used quite a bit. Here is yellow.

Thank Buddha! The climb is almost over!

Once up top, there are great views from all sides. There are troupes of monkeys hanging out here and there, and quite a few mangy dogs laying about, but somehow it all works.

You can look over all of Kathmandu...and on a clear day (not this day) you get a good view of the Himalayas.

According to Swayambhu Purana, the entire valley was once filled with an enormous lake, out of which grew a lotus. The valley came to be known as Swayambhu, meaning "Self-Created."
The Bodhisatva Manjushri had a vision of the lotus at Swayambhu and traveled there to worship it. Seeing that the valley can be good settlement and to make the site more accessible to human pilgrims, Manjushri cut a gorge at Chovar. The water drained out of the lake, leaving the valley in which Kathmandu now lies. The lotus was transformed into a hill and the flower become the Swayambhunath stupa.

On top of the hill, besides the stupa, there a variety of temples, a small monastery and of course some small shops.

Kathmandu is a great place to visit, and Swayambhunath was well worth the climb. A great day indeed.

More to come from India & Nepal soon.

Outside Kathmandu

Our third day in Kathmandu was our opportunity to get outside the city and see some of the Kathmandu valley.

We hired a car and driver to take us to Nagarkot, considered to be one of the best spots to catch panoramic views of the Kathmandu valley and much of the Himalayas including Mt. Everest.

We arrived there in  mid-morning hoping we could get there before the clouds rolled in and obscured the views, but were disappointed to find very cloudy conditions, not good for seeing Everest. Undeterred, we were still able to enjoy the beautiful countryside...and the views of the valley below.

We got to see the Nepalese Army training around the hill station, which is home to their Commando unit, the Nepalese Rangers.

After Nagarkot, we decided to stop in Bhaktapur on the way back to Kathmandu..which turned out to be one of the best decisions we made on our entire trip.

The "Town of Devotees" is not nearly as touristy as other places and its chocked full of amazing architectural delights. Around every corner in the maze like side streets is another temple, statue or breathtaking views.

We wandered around the city, had a delicious lunch and played a little soccer with some kids.

We were able to get off the beaten path and really enjoy Bhakatpur. Its too bad we weren't there outside of Monsoon season....this is what it looks like on a clear day.

Our photography expert, Guillame, showed me how to take color accent pictures..which has opened up a whole new option...especially in a place as colorful as Nepal.

To end the day, we just sat around on a side street, drinking cold sodas (it was pretty hot), saying hello to the super friendly Nepalese....and laughing with kids who were so very curious about the foreigners.

Thanks Bhaktapur....you're a great place to visit.

Nepal

 

 Long have I waited for a chance to visit Nepal. Tucked away in the Himalayas. Home to 8 of the world's 10 highest mountains. Birthplace of Buddha. Highly diverse, rich in geography, history, culture, and religion.

Like most kids, I had no idea about Nepal.....until my uncle came back from a trip there in the 70's. It has been a mecca for hippie backpackers, free spirits and, in more recent  history, adventure/adrenaline junkies.

It is not a place you just pop by. "Oh I have nothing to do this weekend, I think I'll go to Nepal". Its remote, expensive to get to, and off the beaten path....but worth every penny.

For the only time on the trip, we decided to splurge on a real hotel. The Kathmandu Guest house serves as a hub for westerners exploring Nepal. You can organize tours from here, as well as rent cars, motorcycles, meet other people or just relax.

Will, Guillame and I settled in, giddy with anticipation and had a celebratory meal of traditional Nepalese food.

...and of course some Everest beer.

We had read that our trip might coincide with Gaijatra, the cow festival. There is no set date, but it happens during the Nepalese month of Bhadra (August-September)

Families particulate in processions leading a cow through the streets of Kathmandu to honor family members who have died during the previous year. The cow, a revered holy animal, is said to help the deceased relative's journey to heaven.

We asked someone at the hotel if we had missed the festival and they said "No! Its tomorrow!"

We were very, very lucky to be there for this, one of Nepals biggest and most popular festivals.

Everyone takes to the streets.

What a great day to be in Kathmandu...incredible.

We walked amongst the crowds, talked to people, played with some kids and followed the processions to Durbar Square.

It was just a fantastic day....truly.

More Nepal stuff soon...

 

India & Nepal

Have finally settled in Houston after several weeks of traveling. I just made this video of clips from my trip. Stay tuned for more detailed posts about the trip later this week!

Incredible India

-chris

One more trip before heading back Stateside....this time I'll be going to India and Nepal in late August!

I'll be meeting up with Flaco who will be moving from Beijing to Houston...we'll meet in India and do a Rajsthani Ramble hoping to avoid most of the Monsoon rains.

(Rajasthan in Pink)

We'll do a day or two in Delhi, before flying out to Nepal. We'll stay in and around Kathmandu for 3 days, including the Gai Katra cow festival.

Then back to Delhi for the overnight train to Jaisalmer, The Golden City.

After 2 days in Jaisalmer, we'll take the train to Jodhpur, The Blue City.

After 2 days, we'll move on to the Pink City...Jaipur.

Last but not least, Agra...home of the Taj Mahal.

Incredible India...I can't wait.